


The Garden of Everything

by Palabun



Series: Tomorrow and Tomorrow [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Bard AU, Cats Gonna Cat, Exarch Worship, Exarch.exe Has Crashed, M/M, No Tops or Bottoms Only Fire and Madness, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Pre Patch 5.1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 06:10:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palabun/pseuds/Palabun
Summary: Confessions and revelations. A wondrous performance under the stars, and a gift from the heart. R'yhuven and G'raha have finally expressed the love they never could before, but they still have a way to go before they fully understand each other. With G'raha still guarded and hurting, can R'yhuven uncover both their true feelings, and will their newfound relationship survive if he does?A continuation ofTomorrow and Tomorrow.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Original Character(s), G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: Tomorrow and Tomorrow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564246
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song of the same name by Yoko Kanno. I actually hadn't heard it for a while until AFTER writing _Tomorrow and Tomorrow_ and realized just how perfect it is for G'raha and his WoL. So here you are - may you enjoy both!
> 
> Edit: So I realized that putting 14k plus words in a single page might be a biiit intimidating. Everything's now been broken into chapters - nothing has changed except the layout. Hopefully this is a bit nicer for everyone!

"Reports of singing heard throughout the Crystarium last night? Coming from the direction of the Crystal Tower? I assure you, the phenomenon was caused by a rise in aether due to..."

R'yhuven pouted as G'raha paced back and forth across the living room. Their peaceful sleep had been cut short in the early morning by inquiries about their impromptu concert. Similar to the stories from his future, everyone within the Crystarium heard G'raha's song. It hadn't caused any ill effects - in fact, many residents reported resting extremely well afterward - but it was anomalous enough that people wanted to know about it all the same.

As a result G'raha had been continuously busy. He didn't need food, but R'yhuven was starving to the point of being ravenous when he awoke. While G'raha began fielding calls he plundered the kitchen for every leftover they had, finished off all the raw ingredients he could safely consume, and ate half of what he had in storage before he felt full.

When the calls persisted R'yhuven glared at G'raha. The leader gestured that he would be a while, leaving R'yhuven to entertain himself to his utter dismay.

"All that happened last night and you've talked more to the military today than me…this sucks."

R'yhuven threw himself onto the couch dramatically, making sure his rear pointed directly in G'raha's direction. His tail flicked in dark blue-furred fury.

"Do you mind?" G'raha paused his responses and hissed in a low voice. "I understand your frustration but could you at least be decent??"

"Hmph!"

Rolling his eyes with his head pillowed on his arms, R'yhuven made sure to point his tail straight upwards so G'raha could get a full glimpse of his naked bottom before resuming his silent fuming.

He was almost certain the Exarch's heavy sigh wasn't part of the conversation he resumed having.

\--

Another hour passed. R'yhuven busied himself with sunning, not moving from his spot. Meanwhile, G'raha had shifted from explaining the song to normal Crystarium affairs.

_When will this end?! I'm so…oooohh!!_

Finally at his limit, R'yhuven hopped down from the couch onto all fours and beelined for G'raha.

"MRAOW!"

"MRAOW!"

"MRAAAAAAOOOOWWW!"

Yowling his displeasure and winding between G'raha's legs were satisfying ways for R'yhuven to vent. His hope was that G'raha would drop his calls to make him stop. Infuriatingly, however, he simply tuned his linkpearl to not register R'yhuven's voice and kept going.

R'yhuven redoubled his efforts, trying to trip G'raha or do anything for his attention. It worked after a few times, but the distressed sadness on G'raha's face when it did made him reconsider. _Oh…I guess he wants to spend time with me too…_

"Mraow~"

Changing course, he sat on all fours to lean against one of G'raha's legs, wrapping his tail around it. Then R'yhuven rubbed his face against him and purred. It tickled G'raha just enough to make him smile, his first of the day it seemed, without laughing.

They stayed that way, R'yhuven carefully moving from one side of G'raha to the other, for a few more calls. "Yhuven?"

A quiet, wistful air came over G'raha. "I'm sorry. I believe I should almost be done. Would you wait for me a bit longer?"

R'yhuven nodded so eagerly his ears bounced, sauntering away to let G'raha finish in peace.

\--

While passing its pot his creation caught his eye. Still surrounded by the faintly glowing sphere, the multicolored flower rested above the soil waiting to be planted. The two Miqo'te had agreed to work on that together, but in the interim R'yhuven was curious.

He and all his fragments observed the white, garnet, and blue flower hypnotically. R'yhuven reached out, dispelling the foreign magics of the protective spell without thinking. Their world narrowed to flower petals: examining each line as the different layers met, inhaling their unique scent, and memorizing their feel as he stroked them.

Something began to feel off about it, however. _Does it seem less…real…to everyone?_

As his fragments chimed in to agree the problem quickly became apparent. Similar to when it first appeared motes of aether floated from the flower's surface. Observation turned to panic when it began to grow transparent and fade out of existence.

_No!!_

R'yhuven tried to put it back into its sphere to no effect - whatever spell he had used the first time wouldn't come to him again. His magically adept selves offered alternatives, none of which worked. Light-headed and shivering in his helplessness, he carefully took the dying flower in hand and rushed across the room.

"Raha! Help!!"

G'raha's brow creased as he turned around mid-sentence, but he gasped when he saw R'yhuven's predicament. "Please hold this for now. Something urgent has come up."

He cut the line without waiting for a response. "What happened??"

"I don't know. _I don't know!!_" R'yhuven sobbed uncontrollably. "I wanted to see it so I set it free and it was fine and then it wasn't! But we can't fix it! Your flower can't die…it can't…"

He sank to the floor in despair. G'raha joined him, placing his hands beneath R'yhuven's. "I'll do what I can. First-"

The flower's aether settled. Through his tears R'yhuven watched as slowly but surely, life returned to it. "You saved it!"

G'raha frowned. "I haven't done anything yet."

He pulled his hands away, and the decay resumed. R'yhuven gave his creation to G'raha with certainty as it restabilized. "I think it needs to be with you."

"As do I." Warm fingers reached out to lovingly wipe R'yhuven's face dry. "I'll have the Tower analyze the other flowers to find what's wrong. I'll also arrange for Lyna to take care of the rest of my business for today."

Relief washed over R'yhuven. Sniffing away the last of his tears, he mustered up a tiny nod. "Sorry for making trouble when you're already so busy."

He slunk over to an armchair and fell into it weakly. R'yhuven and all his selves were still shaken, not only by what happened, but also by the intensity of their reaction. Losing the flower felt equivalent to losing a close loved one and none of them knew why. _Thank goodness Raha's here. What would I have done without him? He said it was safe…I do feel so very safe…_


	2. Chapter 2

The warmth of another body pressed to his roused R'yhuven from a nap he didn't remember taking. Last he knew he was lying back in the armchair in an attempt to control his raging emotions.

Now, a wonderfully familiar light snore tickled the fur of his ear. Nestled against him was G'raha, who had managed to fit snugly alongside R'yhuven in the way only cats could.

Most of him was in R'yhuven's lap. His tail wrapped securely around R'yhuven's midsection. The rest was arms around R'yhuven's neck and lips pressed to his ear, hence the snoring.

The flower sat pinned in G'raha's hair. It seemed completely recovered, letting R'yhuven admire how perfect it looked there. To him G'raha's crimson and white locks made for a better home than any pot. Sadly he knew there was no way the Exarch could keep a flower in his hair all the time - even with his hood down he had an image to maintain, and R'yhuven was sure their relationship would never be public knowledge.

That thought was best left unfollowed for someone who lived in the moment.

Instead he focused on the tip of G'raha's tail waving ever so slightly in his sleep to tickle R'yhuven's stomach. Not wanting to interrupt it, R'yhuven ran his fingers along the rest of the red fur. _Come to think of it, when's the last time he was brushed? There is 'that'…I suppose it's time._

That was a better thought. He purred to comfort himself as much as his sleeping lover, content to remain in the peaceful world holding only the two of them as long as he could.

\--

Eventually G'raha started to stir. The snoring gradually ended, and the tail came to rest. R'yhuven wasn't ready to move yet so he placed his hands around G'raha's waist. He left his ear in G'raha's care, but stroked the smaller Miqo'te's sides underneath another stolen shirt with his thumbs. "Good morning Raha."

"I thought I had slept enough in my life. Yet I would fall asleep on the hour if only to hear you voice that simple phrase."

G'raha's reply was laden with tenderness. It swept through R'yhuven's ear and down his body with sweet warmth. "Then I'll be surrre to keep saying it."

The trill in R'yhuven's speech made G'raha raise an eyebrow. "You'll have to purr this hard the next time too. Although you have been very…catty…today."

"Arrren't I catty everrry day?" This time R'yhuven laid it on thick, letting his tail wave flippantly.

"Not like this. Since we awoke this morning your behavior has been very odd. I've never seen or read about you being so selfish before."

His tail froze along with his purring. _Wh…what HAVE I been doing?! I don't lie around naked whining for attention! And I certainly don't…_

"Oh dear Goddess - I'm sorry I flashed you while you were trying to work!"

"Why?"

R'yhuven frowned in confusion. "Aside from being rude, you had to ask me to be decent. And I'm still not decent."

"Yhuven."

When he turned his face upward G'raha captured it with both hands. The kiss planted on R'yhuven's lips left him surprised and speechless. Two nights before G'raha had been inexperienced, but if what they were sharing now was any indication he was learning fast.

It ended with R'yhuven remaining in G'raha's grasp. Crystal blue fingers traced along his cheek and mouth. "I wasn't upset. I was enticed, which in turn made it difficult to keep away. You know full well if I truly desired you to be clothed you would be. I also know you don't suffer boredom, and you certainly don't wait on others. It is simply adorable to see you act out just for me."

"'Act out' is it…"

R'yhuven basked in G'raha's possessive happiness while mulling over his actions and willing himself to not lick any nearby hands. "So how is the flower? It looks fine now."

"Ah yes." Reaching up carefully, G'raha unpinned his adornment. Rather than pick it up he cast a spell similar to its original bubble and let it float in front of them. "Before I explain. Do you promise not to become angry at my next statement?"

"Only if you're not about to tell me you plan on dying again."

The tail around R'yhuven tightened. "Nothing of the sort. I put you to sleep."

"I would have appreciated some warning, but I don't mind."

"To ensure you wouldn't endanger yourself."

All of a sudden R'yhuven's tongue felt laden in his mouth. "En…danger? Me? How?"

G'raha returned his arms to R'yhuven's neck. "As I promised, after you brought me the flower I spoke with Lyna. While we talked I went to the kitchen to begin preparing lunch and discovered your having eaten everything down to the sticks of butter."

"Meanwhile, it became increasingly clear this flower requires an environment unnaturally high in aether to live. The barrier you constructed last night provided one, yet today you were unable to recreate it when the flower began to fade. Between that and how upset you were I-"

"-you put me down. Before I could spontaneously bring something harmful to life by mistake. Something that draws so much aether it either kills me or everything around me." R'yhuven finished for him matter-of-factly.

Images of the fall of Amaurot instantly came to mind. A chill that G'raha's crystalline warmth couldn't overcome enveloped R'yhuven and his other selves, freezing and shattering their feelings of safety. _I never thought 'I' would be the one putting his life in danger. Should I be anywhere near him? No…I should…_

"Come back to me, my dear hero."

The endearment snapped R'yhuven out of his brooding. "You are so easily lost in your mind. How have you come this far without me? Or not fallen off a cliff to your demise?"

He sighed. Every encounter with Titan where R'yhuven observed several failed futures of him being Landslided to death came back to him in painful detail. "Actually, I have more times than I care to say…but! An active imagination is a healthy tool for a practiced Bard!"

G'raha's snickering ruined R'yhuven's attempt to recover his dignity. Wallowing in embarrassment, R'yhuven wilted as he blushed to match G'raha's fur. "On second thought, adorable doesn't do you justice Yhuven. Did you notice you're awake?"

"Awake? OH!"

Dark blue ears shot straight up. "I AM awake! Which must mean I'm okay!"

"Hahahaha!"

Any lingering tension was chased away by G'raha's mirth. Bright and cheerful in the face of the serious topic at hand, it revived the security R'yhuven and his fragments had thought lost. "Yes, you're correct. After putting you to sleep I decided to hibernate myself, both to assist the Tower with the analysis and use less aether to help the flower recover. When I received positive results I lifted the spell so you could wake naturally."

"Based on the structure of these flowers your ability is extremely flawed, but not based on your mood. It was a miracle born of your wish - a miracle facilitated by the Crystal Tower."

"That would make sense." R'yhuven lifted a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "My other selves used my connection to the Tower to show themselves to you, and the Bards within my Soulstone followed it with some kind of resonance to draw out the echoes from the Tower."

"_Your_ connection to the Tower?"

"Err…how about you finish telling me about the flowers and then we can discuss…everything else…"

Twin garnet orbs threatened to burn holes straight through R'yhuven. G'raha held his gaze long enough to express his disapproval before conceding. "A basic principle of most objects is they inherently hold enough aether to retain their forms. Your flowers behave more like an aetherial construct, a Summoner's egi for example, in that they require a constant outside supply of aether for them to exist."

"The spell you cast on this one last night bound it to you. It has spent all the time since slowly draining your aether, hence your appetite earlier. The rest are thriving atop the balcony but cannot exist outside of the Tower. There was not a single report of unusual flowers in the Crystarium today."

Enough petals had washed over the side of the balcony that they should have been scattered, but noticeable. Within G'raha's substitute container the flowers' progenitor hung in silent judgment of R'yhuven, and he let go of G'raha to pull it close. "So, I can only create half-formed things that have to live in aether? And it can only happen when I'm in tune with the Tower? That's alright…I didn't ask for more strange abilities, but if this one needs me to be near you it's a welcome addition."

"Speaking of which, this is still yours!"

R'yhuven offered the flower back to its rightful owner. Flesh met crystal in the exchange, yet the warmth of G'raha's touch had left his eyes. "You don't _need_ the Tower unless you're on the First. Any large enough source of stable, balanced aether will do depending on your actions."

G'raha let his tail drop. "Yet more lives bound to this place…"

"Raha…"

There wasn't more R'yhuven could say. He cursed himself for the ill-conceived gift. _I didn't think about ANY repercussions around bringing this to life, and now-_

Two sets of ears perked up at the chime of the doorbell. In a blink only one Miqo'te occupied the armchair, the other having teleported away. R'yhuven peered over the back of the seat in his nakedness, watching curiously as G'raha opened the door in R'yhuven's clothing.

"E-Exarch!"

A young Drahn with an armful of groceries exclaimed from the doorway. "I heard you called in your usual order from the shop, but when I delivered it here I didn't think you would be picking it up!"

Any traces of the conversation between G'raha and R'yhuven were erased by G'raha's shift to acting as the Exarch. "My apologies for startling you. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Anything for our most valuable customer! I have to get back, but say hello to the Warrior of Darkness for me?"

G'raha took the bags with a nod. "Of course."

They took one step to try to leave but stopped to wring their hands. "And umm...you look nice in normal clothes!"

The Drahn scampered off. G'raha closed the door with his foot and walked towards the kitchen. "I will make the fastest meal I can for lunch."

"Sandwiches? Please…?"

The gentle plea brought the retreating man to a halt. "Is that what you wish for right now?"

"I do." R'yhuven moved up to rest his elbows on the back of the armchair. "You're an amazing cook, but your sandwiches will always be special to me."

"Then…"

To see the man R'yhuven thought gone forever turn towards him, grocery bags in hand and the barest hint of a smile on his face in light of his troubles, it was as if time came to a standstill. "So it shall be."

The cook and his instruments left to perform in the kitchen. The Bard remained in heavy silence. _I simply cannot play this song correctly for the life of me._

With a solid flick of his tail R'yhuven brought the encapsulated flower to his hands. As he held it tightly all his reflections shared in his determination to get his relationship with G'raha on stable ground. If they shared one trait it was being persistent in the face of adversity, and navigating the two Miqo'tes' feelings was showing itself to be a trial like no other.


	3. Chapter 3

After finally dressing R'yhuven carefully entered the kitchen, leaving the flower in the bedroom. A full plate of neatly arranged sandwiches adorned the center of the table - a good sign in R'yhuven's eyes - while G'raha tended a pot of water at the stove.

"Orange tea?"

"Yes please!" Having tea served to further lighten the atmosphere. Fragrant steam wafted from the elegant white and blue teacup placed before R'yhuven. In respect to the chef he waited for G'raha to sit, then hungrily loaded his plate while waiting for his drink to cool.

The first bite of food went down with an indulgent sound, and not just because R'yhuven was starving again. He hadn't paid attention to the contents of his plate, so biting into the crisp, juicy croquette sandwich caught him completely off guard.

"I'm glad you like it." G'raha remarked from beside him. "I placed an order for freshly made croquettes along with the groceries. The recipe is mine - I taught it to Hanji-Fae's predecessor when Lyna shared some with the other children when she was younger, and she passed it down."

Any reply had to wait until R'yhuven finished. Savoring every bite, he finished the sandwich and picked all the crumbs off the plate. "Did you learn to cook for Lyna?"

"Not exactly." The last of a different type of sandwich disappeared from G'raha's plate. "I taught myself from cookbooks I found during my research on the Source. Violette thought I should have a hobby, and I wanted to do something kind for everyone working so hard. Ingredients were limited, but learning how to make substitutions turned out to be a valuable skill here as well. I added to my repertoire for Lyna's tastes."

"I see. That's why cooking makes you so happy."

"That is…part of it…"

They both resumed eating quietly. There was clearly still something on G'raha's mind. It annoyed R'yhuven that expressing concerns seemed a one-way affair in their relationship - for all his willingness to listen to R'yhuven's troubles, G'raha was content to express his only when frustrated by them.

Once the plate of sandwiches was empty G'raha tried to stand. "Wait! It's just one dish to clean, right? Can it wait?"

R'yhuven eased his companion back into his chair. "Last night…was everyone nice to you?"

"'Nice' doesn't begin to describe it."

Relaxing at last, G'raha took his teacup between his hands and rolled it thoughtfully. "I can scarcely believe what transpired yesterday evening. On the topic of your reflections, I expected them to be angry, or at least resentful, of my altering their fates. Instead they held as much affection for me as you do. It is a wonderful feeling to know how deeply every part of you cares for me."

Flicking the fingers of his right hand against the cup sent a chime throughout the room. "And to see they're almost all just as lascivious."

"Well…well." R'yhuven laughed with heated cheeks. "Who wouldn't be if they had you?"

"That is exactly what they said."

The porcelain continued to ring out at intervals. It was hard to tell if each motion came from contemplation or agitation, but G'raha kept it up as he continued. "As for the others…"

His hand came to a rest. "To see the images of my ancestors, and of those who rebelled against Emperor Xande, was an experience beyond words. Despite having been connected to the Crystal Tower for hundreds of years I had no awareness of their impressions lingering within."

"All those before me spent their lives drawn to a place lost to time, carrying a slowly fading hope, and became part of its legacy. Will I too become a memory, or will I one day become fully immortalized as part of the crystal comprising the Tower?"

For the second time that day there was no answer R'yhuven could give, and he didn't feel it was a good time for compliments.

But he could provide a distraction. All his fragments held their breath as R'yhuven carefully pulled out the incomplete crystal mirror. He placed it in front of G'raha gingerly. "This is my connection to the Tower. I saw the pieces that make up the center at Mt. Gulg, but they were only a dream then. When we were on the beach I found the mirror like this in my storage. I think I made it with the last of the Light within me - the frame has the same pattern as the harp my sin eater carried. I can use it to see my other selves."

G'raha's demeanor completely changed. His ears perked, swiveling towards R'yhuven excitedly, and he grasped the mirror with both hands to hold it up. "It's made with crystal from the Tower! Yet I don't have a reflection…Yhuven?"

Everything on the table vibrated from the strength of R'yhuven's sudden purring. The instant G'raha touched the mirror all of its owners wanted to melt. "This mirrrorrr…is DEFINITELY…connected to my hearrrt…"

"It ties your heart to the Tower then. Perhaps I'm not the only one who took advantage of that moment."

The thought seemed to please G'raha. Slowly and reverently, he traced crystal fingers along the white and gold design of the frame. Then he pressed his palm to the glass, examining the broken edges with no fear of being cut.

The longer G'raha held the mirror the more languid R'yhuven became. G'raha was in full researcher mode, however, and R'yhuven knew he would keep the object of his fascination for hours if he wasn't stopped.

"There's time to analyze this later, I just wanted to answer your question for now."

Bringing all his willpower to bear, R'yhuven managed to get a hand on the mirror. He pulled on it, and G'raha reluctantly complied. "No more work!"

R'yhuven could swear he heard G'raha whine when he put his possession away. "I'll have to go back to the Source soon. But before I do I want to give you a thorough grooming!"

"That brings back fond memories of the Find."

"Oh no, not the [sleeping together] type."

His grooming kit appeared in his hands. The mahogany wood case piqued G'raha's interest, so R'yhuven opened it for him with a flourish.

Various combs, brushes, cloths, and oils lined the inside of the case. "Oh, I see. I am not ignorant of the act of manual grooming, but I have not experienced it in any way."

"That's to be expected. It's considered far more intimate than using your tongue."

R'yhuven closed the box and stowed it. Rising from his seat, he bowed formally and offered G'raha a hand. "Shall I attend you, my liege?"

G'raha recoiled in embarrassment. His tail puffed, but R'yhuven managed to hold a straight face. "I am NOT 'your liege'."

"Oh come now, you suddenly want to be modest after the bath? Or everything that followed the bath?"

The offer remained. "Raha, you've carried yourself like royalty since we met. From being the foremost expert on Allag among the Students of Baldesion, to the leader of NOAH, to the ruler of the kingdom of the Crystal Tower. You have a throne room and a fancy robe and staff. Even Feo Ul acknowledges it - how much more endorsement do you need?"

"But! If you want to ignore those, you've already declared that you rule over me. Since the day we met I've been your subject. I did bring you tributes of food and goods on request after all. Actually…"

Crimson fur went flying as R'yhuven scooped G'raha out of his seat. "Shall I take your measurements and bring you clothing from the Source? I never thought to try it before because of your work but, suddenly I have so many ideas for attire fitting your station."

"H-HEY! You…"

The Exarch fumed but didn't teleport out of the arms holding him. If anything he leaned into them, curling up slightly against R'yhuven's chest. "Be sure to service me properly. And perhaps…we can discuss the clothing."

R'yhuven kissed his fussy lover's forehead and rushed him into the bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Fortunately, wanting to pamper G'raha tempered R'yhuven's other urges. He managed to only slip twice once he laid G'raha on their bed, planting stolen kisses to his crystal palm and one foot while undressing him.

When G'raha was fully uncovered R'yhuven made the mistake of draping the bedsheets over his lower half. Returning from retrieving towels blessed him with a view both regal and erotic: G'raha's calm face peering at him from atop a pillow, followed by the uncovered expanse of crystal mingled with normal flesh, and accented with his tail waving above pools of fabric that only served to emphasize his hips and legs. Never before had R'yhuven regret his inability to paint.

"Your staring is delaying my service."

R'yhuven grinned. "I did tell you you were beautiful. To be blessed with a heavenly voice and a heavenly visage is surely a gift from the Goddess, my liege."

The compliment caused G'raha's left ear to wave in unconscious appreciation. "Then come closer to admire me and tell me of this process."

_W…whoa…perhaps 'I'm' the one receiving the service. He's really getting into this. If I convert him from a brat to a monster I'll never be able to leave the First._

Most of R'yhuven's other selves deciding they were fine with that did not help. The grooming kit kept R'yhuven's hands occupied when he sat and placed the towels on a nightstand.

"Manual grooming involves two tasks. First, all your fur and the areas around it are closely examined to make sure they're healthy. If they aren't I stop and take care of it. When everything's okay we move to the second task of applying oil to the surrounding skin, followed by brushing and polishing your fur."

"I suppose this is something you do often?"

Surprisingly, G'raha's question didn't sound accusatory. "No actually…it's not truly necessary. Normal bathing is more than enough the majority of the time. Most Miqo'te will never see a session since it takes so long. It either takes an expensive salon that specializes in Miqo'te or an extremely loving partner."

R'yhuven removed a small-toothed comb from the grooming kit and began examining G'raha's left ear. "I haven't had it done either."

The ear turned slightly. "But you're carrying a grooming kit. Do you use it on others then?"

"No, I don't."

Neither of them spoke, leaving the quiet scratching of the wood comb against skin the only sound in the room. Truth be told, the mahogany case had sat forgotten in a corner of R'yhuven's storage for the better part of a year and a half.

"This was meant to be a gift."

Old, forgotten thoughts worked their way loose. "I had the entire evening planned. We would return triumphant from the World of Darkness. For the rest of the day all of the Find would celebrate our victory. I'd watch you bask in the praise, proudly spinning every detail of the epic tale of our journey for anyone who would listen."

"Late at night, after the celebration wound down, we would return to your tent hopefully functionally drunk. We'd head to bed like normal but, instead of lying down I'd show you this. You wouldn't know what it meant - few people do - so I'd explain. You'd become so flustered your face would match your hair…but you would let me use it. Not there in the tent though, it wouldn't be good enough for you. I'd whisk you away to my home in Gridania, pamper you, tell you everything, and then hope you felt the same way I did."

As his combing revealed the base of G'raha's ear, R'yhuven clucked his tongue chidingly. "I thought so. You likely can't feel it, but you're all dry here."

G'raha reached up to check for himself. "So I am. Inside my ear as well. But I suppose for a hundred years of neglect it's not so bad."

R'yhuven laughed as he wielded an oil-dipped cotton ball with a pair of tweezers. "I'll give you that. There should be just enough silver vine in this oil to help you relax, so feel free to fall asleep if you want."

"A very tempting offer. Perhaps after I hear the end of your story?"

"Of course."

In a few swipes of the cotton ball R'yhuven was in his happy place. It was deeply satisfying to watch each pass bring a bit of life back to G'raha's ear. Then he massaged the oil in with his fingers using his prior expertise before continuing.

"When we left you behind there was a strange somber cheerfulness in the air. Everyone was saddened, but also had hopes they would see you again soon. Unfortunately…those kinds of false hopes don't work on me."

"Once the Find settled down I snuck into your tent and stole your nightshirt. Then I saw the Tower and the perfectly cheery day…and I hated it. I hated everything for carrying on like normal not knowing about your sacrifice. Peg and I rode to the Rathefrost, where I nearly killed those Harriers with the song from the Sentinel. I threw the harp I played it with into Silvertear and told myself I was too terrible to ever play your lullaby. I spent all my free time there until I was forced to Ishgard."

\--

Voicing the events was more cathartic than R'yhuven imagined. Having no more left to say or do, he dabbed G'raha's left ear with a cloth before switching to the right.

No comments came from beneath him either. R'yhuven blamed the silver vine as he combed and oiled his new target. Once it was also in perfect condition he rubbed his nose against the back of G'raha's head affectionately to signal his moving downward.

"Thank you. For telling me."

"I would take credit, but I do recall a certain someone saying not to lie to him anymore."

The tip of G'raha's tail brushed against R'yhuven's forehead. "You didn't have to confess quite so much."

"I'm glad I did. Back then I thought I might die from heartache. It turns out it was just the first of many painful experiences, so many I thought I couldn't handle them anymore. Now the worst are part of the mirror, not because I want to cling to my suffering, but because I've finally come to terms with it. And in part it was your words, both past and present, that let me. So I should really be thanking you too."

\--

Crimson and white fur parted under R'yhuven's comb once more. A Miqo'te's tail was the longest and most personal part of the manual grooming process, and he was prepared to dedicate the rest of the day to the task.

Almost an hour of meticulous examination later he had only finished a quarter of G'raha's tail. From G'raha's breathing he was on the edge of sleep, and while R'yhuven wished he could curl up beside him, he hoped his affection was showing through his task instead.

"Yhuven?"

The question drifted up from the pillows. "Did you need me to bring you something Raha?"

G'raha shifted slightly. "I do not. I was thinking perhaps I should share a confession of my own."

"Oh." R'yhuven couldn't help smiling. "If you'd like. Don't feel obligated to."

"I want to…I've wanted to since yesterday but couldn't find the right moment to bring it up."

Now R'yhuven was intrigued but kept at his task. "Earlier this week was not my first kiss."

_Don't react…don't react…_

"I knew that would surprise you."

"Traitorous hands, you disappoint me." R'yhuven hung his head at his brief pause. "You seemed too invested in your work to think about any kind of relationship."

"I was. I met someone who convinced me I could do both, however."

Rather than being upset, R'yhuven wanted to know the details of this mystery person. "Who? They must have been pretty special! What happened? When? Where?"

G'raha buried his face in his pillow and groaned. "The Gods have cursed me to love a fool…"

"HEY! I…ohhh…"

R'yhuven pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yhuven if you are pointing to yourself I cannot see it."

"Ho-"

"You moved _and_ you have discontinued my service. Again. Perhaps a punishment is in order."

Mischievous garnet eyes peered up towards R'yhuven. They tested the Bard's resolve, but he managed to resume combing with only mildly unsteady hands. "So…was the person me?"

"It was. Our last night together at the Find. I tried to show my feelings for you then, although you didn't reciprocate the way I expected. Still, that evening was my first time giving and receiving such intimacy. I hadn't avoided it intentionally…but you are the only one to cause such yearnings within me."

"Ah…" The candid admission caught R'yhuven off guard.

"Having you there, I felt assured of our victory the next day. Yet worry about my performance, and the influence of the Eye drove me to wakefulness a few hours in. As I watched you sleep an indescribable feeling came over me so strongly I thought I might faint. For all my confidence there remained a chance I could still die. And I didn't want to without knowing some part of you, no matter how small. So I kissed you…clumsily, yet fondly."

G'raha raised a hand to his lips. "It became my good luck charm. 'No matter what' - I believed you with all my heart. Without it and your guidance I wouldn't have had the courage to seal the Crystal Tower."

His confession threatened to make R'yhuven cry. Not a day had gone by that R'yhuven didn't lament losing G'raha before learning the true identity of the Crystal Exarch. Had someone told him over a year ago he would find his love again and they would bond over the very event that pulled them apart, he might have thrown them into the lake as well.

"That is…more than a little embarrassing." R'yhuven said at last. "I wish I didn't sleep like a brick so I could have woken up for Raha's stolen kiss!"

He laughed at being assaulted by G'raha's tail. "Aww, now it's messed up again."

"Your punishment. Back to it attendant."

"Y-yes my liege!"

\--

The rest of G'raha's grooming proceeded peacefully. R'yhuven finished combing and oiling G'raha's tail late in the day. He took a quick break to sneak the remaining croquettes into his stomach while G'raha took Lyna's report on the last of his Crystarium affairs.

On his return R'yhuven moved to the brushes, smoothing and straightening G'raha's newly restored fur. As the finishing touch he took up the cloths to buff it all to a shiny finish.

"Now your fur matches the rest of you!"

A weak nod was all G'raha could muster in reply. The grooming had almost entirely done him in, but R'yhuven wasn't going to settle for anything less than full defeat.

He exchanged the grooming kit for a familiar bottle of oil. All he had to do was open it to get G'raha's attention. "You are truly evil. That scent is going to be my undoing."

There was no remorse in R'yhuven's response. "You entreated your humble attendant to admire you. I could do no less than to fulfill your request to the absolute best of my ability."

Carefully moving G'raha's hair out of the way, R'yhuven poured oil onto his hands and began massaging G'raha's back. Having trained as a Bard and a Paladin he had a firm yet dextrous grip to bring to bear against the challenging landscape before him.

Over the last few nights the secret of G'raha's sensitivity had come to light. Touching the border of his skin was akin to tickling - light, targeted touches were overstimulating, but firm, broader actions were fine. R'yhuven abused that knowledge, giving no quarter as he worked any trace of tension from every ilm of G'raha's back.

"Gods that feels divine. I had no idea the crystal could have knots until you found them."

The sighs of contentment accompanying G'raha's compliment were R'yhuven's sign. Finishing a lower back massage, he wiped his hands clean and proceeded to grasp G'raha's hair tie. He pulled it loose slowly, making sure to drag the cloth binding down the center of G'raha's spine. Then R'yhuven delicately pulled his fingers through G'raha's ponytail, gradually freeing the hair in several long sweeps across his neck and back that teased the edges of his tolerance.

For his final act R'yhuven brandished a hairbrush. At the Find he had often helped G'raha brush his hair after a shower. Back then the act led to purring and sleep - G'raha didn't seem capable of purring anymore, but R'yhuven was sure the soporific qualities of hair brushing remained intact.

In no time an incoherent mumbling came from the pillow. R'yhuven thought he caught something about how the Tower's Administrator didn't need sleep, promptly followed by the snoring R'yhuven knew so well.

He proved the brushing was as much for him as G'raha by continuing long after he was out. Despite spending a good amount of the day using his hands they still felt a bit restless when R'yhuven stopped.

Moving silently so to not disturb G'raha, R'yhuven cleaned up the bed and undressed for sleep himself. He freed his own ponytail at the dresser mirror, brushing the mid-back dark blue fall with thoughts of the inevitable day G'raha reciprocated his pampering.

The flower sat in its container in front of R'yhuven. This time he and his reflections observed it without setting it free, officially declaring it the second most perfect occupant of the room. They couldn't resist holding it one last time before bed, finally understanding why they were so upset earlier.

"Good night, my precious wish."


	5. Chapter 5

_!--uv--n_

Something tried to interrupt R'yhuven's dream. It nagged incessantly, but he couldn't make out what it wanted.

_Y--v!e-_

Was he dreaming? He tried to focus on any part of his surroundings and kept coming up empty-handed.

_Yhuven! WAKE UP!_

Several voices screaming at him managed to pull him halfway from his slumber. The waking world came to him in brightly lit pieces, and as he struggled to fully regain consciousness R'yhuven realized he'd been put to sleep _again_.

_Yes, you have! Now hurry up and stop him! We'll try to keep him out for as long as we can but we've already been fighting him for a while!_

That lit a fire under R'yhuven. His eyes began to focus on the blurred figure across the room, the object in their hand, and the spell surrounding them. Faint blue light rippled out from something suspended in mid-air in front of them.

_Is that my mirror? Wait, is that...RAHA?!_

Robed in all black, hooded and obscured, G'raha stood with staff in hand. His lips curled in anger as he fought with the mirror, yelling incoherently in his attempts to cast a spell on it. He wasn't succeeding, but the barrier radiating from the mirror was fading fast.

As R'yhuven tried to get out of bed he heard the barrier crack. G'raha crowed in triumph, gleefully bringing his staff down on the mirror's surface with both hands. The spell enveloped the crystal glass, and R'yhuven's fragments wailed in despair at having lost.

White-hot agony coursed through R'yhuven from what felt like a hand reaching into his heart and grabbing hold. On instinct he pushed back with all his strength, not knowing what would happen if G'raha managed to get caught up in the unknown facets of his soul while he was barely conscious.

The Exarch's victory quickly turned sour. The mirror reflected his spell, yet instead of letting it go he redoubled his efforts. R'yhuven and his other selves watched in horror as G'raha fell to his knees screaming, still wielding his staff in stubborn defiance.

_Dear Goddess…he's not going to stop unless I take it from him!_

R'yhuven wasn't awake enough to go over and take the mirror himself. That left knocking it away. There were several items nearby he could throw if he could muster up enough strength.

In the end he threw his naked self. Nine people's worth of determination to save G'raha fueled R'yhuven's last-ditch effort, and he succeeded in hitting the mirror and sending it flying across the room.

Both Miqo'te landed in an awkward pile. The sleep spell on R'yhuven lifted along with the rest of G'raha's spells and glamours when they hit the ground. R'yhuven's head was pounding but he didn't care - G'raha had gone completely limp beneath him. "Raha, are you okay? Raha?? Oh, Gods…"

An unblinking, lifeless gaze looked back when R'yhuven rolled G'raha over. It was unnervingly unnatural, but reassuring in that it likely meant whatever was wrong with G'raha was being fixed by his bond with the Tower.

He was too sick with worry to wait for some process to finish before G'raha woke up, however. Offering a sincere apology, R'yhuven used Fight or Flight, drew one hand back, and slapped G'raha as hard as he could across the face.

The mark from the impact lasted mere seconds. There were no other signs of life, so R'yhuven went to try again.

"No more…once is enough…"

"Raha!"

R'yhuven's ears perked as G'raha blinked, then rubbed his face. "Good morning!"

"G-good what?" G'raha sputtered in utter disbelief. "Come again?"

"You woke up so it's 'good morning'? Are you okay?"

Backing up, R'yhuven gave G'raha room to right himself. His tail waved in cheerful relief. "We were all worried…are you hurt anywhere?"

"No…" The cautious answer eased out of G'raha. "Abruptly breaking the connection from the spell caused an overload, which triggered a diagnostic cycle. I've experienced it once, after bringing the Crystal Tower to the First. Then I was incapacitated for several hours, but you managed to wake me during the process…creatively."

A new headache started skipping rope with R'yhuven's first. "You'll be fine then?"

G'raha cradled his cheek with a glare. "Yes."

"Good! Back to bed with you!"

For the second time that day R'yhuven scooped G'raha into his arms, but this time he tried to squirm away. "Sorry, did you want to walk?"

"You…unbelievable…"

R'yhuven's bundle trembled in rage. "Aren't you angry with me??"

The thought hadn't crossed R'yhuven's mind. "What, no! Why would I be?"

"But I-"

"I don't care. I trust you, and I always will. Like I said, as long as you aren't trying to die again nothing you do can make me upset."

That made G'raha angrier. "That's why I - put me down!"

"Hmph."

Doing as he was told, R'yhuven sat on a nearby loveseat still holding him. "Done! Here, your hair is a mess..."

"No! Ugh, stop, I cannot take it!"

G'raha's fists and jaw clenched, but rather than anger he looked to be holding back tears. "Why are you like this??"

"Like…what?"

"So kind! Aside from the strange way you've been acting today…I cannot stand your unconditional kindness. It hurts. It. _Hurts_."

He relaxed, letting the tears fall while cradling R'yhuven's confused face between his hands. "You have done nothing but be my dear hero, and so, so much more. These last few days you have enveloped me in such overwhelming tenderness, as well as passion. Yet soon you will return to the Source as you said. And I will be left here, surrounded by reminders of how my existence is merely a fragile, fleeting moment to you, not knowing when next I can experience the joys of this life. I am done with waiting, yet I must."

Understanding dawned on R'yhuven. It left an ache rivaling the one in his head in his heart. "Now you see. Given a choice between an unknown amount of solitude, or causing you temporary discomfort to claim some small part of you for myself, to hold and keep within the Tower so I am never truly alone, there is no choice. I would gladly immolate myself in the fires of your heart to have that chance, even if they become my funeral pyre. Fading to dust and ash at your hands is a better fate than returning to how my life was before."

R'yhuven's chest felt tight. He couldn't believe he had missed how deeply G'raha's pain ran. "If you felt this strongly why didn't you tell me? I'll give you anything you ask for, including myself…I thought I showed you that?"

"You cannot fix this problem. And you already give too much of yourself fixing everyone else's problems. I don't want to burden you with my troubles."

The carelessness of that statement made R'yhuven want to yell. "But you do anyway! You just wait until they're so bad you can't keep them in, then you throw them at me when I REALLY can't do anything about them so we both sit there feeling awful! You couldn't hide your feelings for all the gil in Ul'dah so it's not like it's a secret when you're upset!"

G'raha jerked his hands away with lowered ears. Disbelief followed by annoyance crossed his face until he settled for placing his hands in his lap and pouting. "If you know I am upset, why not ask me how I am feeling??"

"…"

Now R'yhuven's ears fell. "I'm so used to people simply telling me I don't think to. And I like to give you things to show I care…so I just figure, if I do enough you'll eventually feel better…"

"Well look at the good THAT does. A month and a half of time lost!"

"A month and a half where you should have TOLD ME!"

Both Miqo'te were crying. None of it was from being angry - R'yhuven knew that for sure. "Yhuven, I believe we are having a lover's quarrel, but with ourselves."

R'yhuven nodded sadly. "I've felt like we've been playing a song poorly all day. It's as if…each of us is slightly out of tune and blaming the other for the performance being bad, when we actually both need to review the music."

"How can you make even arguing sound adorable?"

G'raha sniffled with a smile. "You are right. We need to work on properly expressing our feelings, at least when it comes to each other. We shouldn't waste another second of being together."

Before R'yhuven could reply G'raha wrapped around him. The robes disappeared to points unknown, leaving G'raha just as naked as R'yhuven with his head and arms to R'yhuven's chest, and his tail snugly around the arm holding up his lower half. "For those two hundred years I spent asleep in the Crystal Tower I dreamed normally. The dreams were extremely vivid, and due to my not waking a single one could last a long while. I am certain some lasted years."

"Perhaps it was purposeful, but I cannot recall having a single nightmare. I had many dreams of my life in Sharlayan, of my education, and earning my position. But the longest and most memorable dreams were the ones with you in them."

R'yhuven settled them against the loveseat comfortably to listen. "Much of it was recalling the many evenings we spent together. Sometimes you wouldn't leave in the morning. It was a frequent hope of mine you wouldn't, at first because I wanted to be near the great Warrior of Light, then to learn more about R'yhuven and why he chose to spend his time with me."

"But above those were the dreams starting from the night we prepared to enter the World of Darkness. I'm sure you can imagine how that night could…resolve…differently. From there we would return triumphant, or we would never go at all. Either way, the Crystal Tower would be forgotten, and we simply lived. We traveled a world I invented from books I read, adventuring far and wide relying on no one but ourselves. They were wonderful…and I awoke from one into the nightmare of the Eighth Umbral Calamity."

When R'yhuven tried to talk G'raha stopped him. "Let me finish. I know you are about to say you now fully understand my strong feelings of betrayal at learning about you, and you would be correct. But more than that, as I learned about you and came to the truth of our relationship, I began to feel an obsessive ownership of you…which you are currently experiencing."

"I…" G'raha swallowed nervously. "I hid my growing feelings from everyone, including Violette. In my dreams I learned to cook during our travels, so I took it up in reality and used helping the Ironworks as a cover. Upon learning you trained as a Paladin I enlisted one within the mercenaries and trained with them in secret, then learned several other professions the same way under the guise of preparation for helping you."

R'yhuven gasped in surprise. "Oh…my…"

"My obsession swelled to such proportions I had to seal it away to fulfill my mission. Except arriving on the First too early left me with plenty of time and hardship…and the times when I was at my lowest, I thought when I eventually brought you here I would…"

G'raha's hold on R'yhuven tightened. "…break you. Many have tried and failed, but I knew I would succeed by merely explaining everything. Your heroism would fight with your love for me, and I would gladly help you choose the wrong path and learn to live with the consequences. Had you looked around the Umbilicus long enough you likely would have uncovered my deranged musings on how the two of us could survive the Ascians' machinations alone."

"And this is why when you asked me to show you my madness I said I shouldn't. Now that I have done so these thoughts are returning to me."

"But they aren't so bad."

A curious sound came from G'raha. Several lifetimes worth of suppressed irrationality rose from inside R'yhuven to mingle with his own. "You think I'm kind, but when you wield god-like powers sometimes you get not so heroic ideas. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to just…mercilessly beat people to death..because I know they'll eventually cause trouble if I let them live. Or maybe as a sign to others that want to follow in their footsteps. Although the worst…the very worst…are the times I wanted to wake you."

"It's so damn hard watching people struggle from the effects of the remnants of the Allagan Empire. Knowing you're there, able to control the source of Allag's power and show everyone what true Allagan technology is capable of? Resisting the urge to rip the doors off that Godsdamned Tower, see you again, and put an end to all the pointless conflict is so…grrr!"

R'yhuven took a deep breath. "It won't work. Neither of our desperate thinking will. We've had bad moments, but we care too much to follow through. That's why…"

He carefully stood and placed G'raha on the loveseat. The mirror was retrieved from the floor. "You don't need this."

It vanished into R'yhuven's storage. Before G'raha took the gesture as admonishment R'yhuven grasped his right hand and pressed the palm to his heart. "Because you can use me directly."


	6. Chapter 6

Elation and panic visibly warred in G'raha. Crimson eyes flitted back and forth between R'yhuven and the floor, while crystal fingers absently grasped at R'yhuven's chest. "Perhaps…another time…"

"Is the diagnostic making things hard for you?"

"N-no…"

Sweat would likely have formed on G'raha's brow if it could. "You may believe in me but-"

"Raha."

He frowned. In response, R'yhuven moved one step closer to make it two hands against him. "I'm still here. As in, I haven't taken your informing me how my ability works, gone back to the Crystal Tower on the Source, and thrown myriad failed creations at the doors to fulfill my corrupt wishes. You don't need me to believe in you - you need to believe in yourself."

"That is…true."

On the last word G'raha exhaled with purpose. As he drew his next breath his expression grew firm. "Shall we then?"

Cracking a confident grin, R'yhuven waved his ears and tail in confirmation. G'raha rose to his feet, his hands remaining securely to R'yhuven, and R'yhuven gave him an affectionate slow blink that ended in his eyes staying shut.

_You certainly enjoy playing on the razor's edge, don't you Yhuven?_

_Are we truly living if we aren't?_

The inquisitor huffed but didn't argue. There was already full approval for the reckless act of letting G'raha reach into their soul. It risked exposing the full truth of what lied beneath R'yhuven's cheerful exterior, but the thought G'raha might find it presented such a delicious challenge none of his reflections, even the three usual holdouts on their more impulsive acts, had objected.

\--

Aether suffused R'yhuven's body. He focused on its ebb and flow, at first thinking he might adjust his breathing to match. That was too simple, however, so he drew on his fragments for a more clever, and much more dangerous, plan.

Everything within R'yhuven's body came to a halt. Then, like a clock striking the hour, the heartbeat he had suspended restarted in a dizzying rush of blood. Its flow now perfectly aligned with the aetheric pulse R'yhuven knew was G'raha's.

Their synchronicity amplified the spell. Like the mirror, R'yhuven was gradually suspended in mid-air before G'raha, but he could feel the aether within him expand outward from the center of his soul to envelop him in a column of light. Their entwined essence invoked a level of intimacy R'yhuven knew there could never be words for, and using it he reached out with every part of himself to invite G'raha in.

Far from the forceful grasping of G'raha's first attempt, now he simply stepped across the boundaries of R'yhuven's heart. There needed to be someplace for him to go, the most natural destination for G'raha coming immediately to mind and springing to life.

A vast library surrounded them. Beside R'yhuven G'raha stood in his Exarch's robes, while R'yhuven wore his best outfit for entertaining.

When G'raha saw him he immediately leaned up for a quick, chaste kiss. "I do not know how to thank you. Unfortunately my time here is short - your soul has a strong presence, and as we are so deeply interwoven with each other if I linger too long I may not be able to pull free."

"Pity that…" R'yhuven quipped, only half-joking.

G'raha paid him no mind as he spun around. He put a foot in one direction, then stopped to start in another. "I have a mind for something in particular, yet I do not know where to begin looking."

"I want nothing more than for you to find it."

The effect of the wish sent G'raha flying down a nearby corridor practically on all fours. "This way! Thank you Yhuven!"

\--

His white-tipped tail quickly disappeared from sight. Proud of his quick thinking, R'yhuven strolled towards his personal destination. Tall, ornate wooden doors awaited him across the room, and he easily pushed them open and passed through.

"A parlor. I wouldn't expect anything less from the likes of us."

R'yhuven strode inside waving. His usual five culprits waved back, while his usual three absentees were out despite their earlier consensus. The elaborate parlor was Gridanian-styled, consisting of rich, dark woods and adorned with flowers in every available corner. It also sported a very large and well-stocked bar, which was currently being run by his elderly Miqo'te reflection.

Inquiring why the blind one among them ran the bar was pointless, as R'yhuven already knew the answer. The Viera and the Au Ra chatted casually, drinks in hand while the Miqo'te tended to them. Across the room the Hyur laid on her stomach on a bench, kicking her raised feet casually as she read a book. Near her, the Elezen stood by a shelf and examined its contents.

Watching him brought R'yhuven's attention to the walls. The parlor contained several shelves packed full of thin books. When R'yhuven pulled one out it was full of sheet music.

The Au Ra tipped his glass towards R'yhuven. "Your lovely song collection. And here we live among the compositions you've crafted with your heart from fragments of the world. Are we caretakers or another page created at your hands…who's to say?"

Cryptic as ever, he knocked back the last of his drink. It was immediately replaced with another. "What he's trying to say is 'welcome to our home'. We don't mind watching your things so you don't have to deal with them."

His Viera drinking companion chuckled. "Although you never fail to impress me. Linking this place to your memories and letting Raha loose in it is rather bold."

"Especially as he's going right for the most incriminating of it all." The Elezen picked through the contents of the shelf. "Thanks to your directions he'll find everything."

The Hyuran woman didn't look up. She licked her finger to turn a page happily. "Pretty Raha is pulling out all the books about him and Haurchefant!"

"Perfect. Now I won't have to explain anything to him. Either he'll read it and understand, or he'll get jealous and I'll find out what the cake punishment is. I make out just fine no matter what so he can have it!"

The whole room laughed. R'yhuven strolled past the bar, graciously taking the already prepared glass from the Miqo'te without missing a step. One of the music books called to him, and he saw fit to answer.

\--

Ice clinked in R'yhuven's glass as he took a full sip of its contents, needing the perceived alcohol to deal with the situation. On a pedestal in the back of the parlor rested a bound volume so large it barely counted as a book. The massive tome had once borne a seal that was now broken, replaced with a heavy lock instead.

Everyone else congregated around him. Frowning worriedly, the mute Miqo'te quickly asked R'yhuven what he wanted with the Sentinel's song.

"This 'song'." R'yhuven took a hard look at the Allagan script on the tome's cover. "I remember how invasive it was. I mean, every song I get is invasive, but this…it was a non-stop deluge of information. Words and images flooded my mind to a degree I haven't encountered since. Now that I've heard how Raha became one with the Crystal Tower, and saw the effect playing this song has…"

His five reflections watched quietly as R'yhuven undid the lock. He handed his glass back to the Miqo'te, then upended the tome and turned all the way to the back.

More than half the pages were blank. After rifling through them R'yhuven eventually found the last page with music on it. The notes and words were densely packed to where it was nearly unreadable, but the song abruptly ended as if someone had ripped the paper from underneath the composer's pen while they were writing. "Raha didn't just stop me from suffering the effects of the song…he stopped me from going through the same process as him, except without the Allagan blood to have it work properly. If not for him I would have died."

"So you support our theory then."

The Arcane patterns tattooed on the Elezen shifted as he leaned over R'yhuven to examine the book. "That the songs you receive are uncontrollable misfires of your creation ability attempting to reimagine the aetherial signatures of the world around you, made possible by the Echo and your rejoining during the Seventh Umbral Calamity?"

"S…sure…Goddess, I need this back after hearing that…"

R'yhuven retrieved his drink and finished it. "Shame this isn't usable. Even if I could get the rest, I guess without a Royal Eye it'll just be a garbled mess. Still, I think I gained a small connection to the Crystal Tower that day that made all this possible."

"Speaking of which, Raha's on his way back. Thanks for the help! And for cleaning up!"

He ran off leaving the tome wide open with the glass atop it. The parlor doors closed behind him, and he kept running until he smacked into G'raha.

"Yhuv-whoa!"

R'yhuven picked G'raha up, swung him around joyfully, and allowed himself to nuzzle his neck. G'raha returned the gesture, letting R'yhuven hold him as they basked in the closeness of their combined selves for a little longer. Had R'yhuven not found a distraction away from G'raha he was certain they would have sealed their souls together in a way that could never be undone.

"I have found what I needed. We should return. Once again, thank you."

A cheery peacefulness radiated from G'raha. It increased when R'yhuven affectionately rubbed his left ear. R'yhuven took G'raha's hand in his and walked them across the room and out the library doors.

As they exited, knowing they would likely never be so close ever again gave rise to a small wish in R'yhuven's heart he didn't try to stop.

\--

Knowing it was necessary didn't prevent R'yhuven from lamenting breaking their connection. G'raha stepped back, the aether faded, and R'yhuven slowly drifted to the floor. R'yhuven felt more than fine, but G'raha swayed on his feet tiredly. "Will you complain if I pick you up this time?"

"Absolutely not. I won't stand for it if you don't."

G'raha couldn't help chuckling at the unintentional pun from the normally demanding declaration. He toppled over for it. R'yhuven rushed forward to catch him, trying to keep a straight face himself as G'raha devolved into full laughter. "Do you feel better now Raha?"

"Yes!" He agreed, ears waving and face drawn up in a full grin. "I cannot help missing you when you are gone. But the gifts you have given me are far beyond my wildest imaginings. Your memories aside…if I ever feel lonely again, I can always revisit the time our souls became as one."

"You can have this too."

R'yhuven brought one hand from around G'raha to hold it in front of them. Like the evening with the flowers, aether settled into his palm and took form. "A…key?"

G'raha picked it up carefully. The key was made of gold, wound in filigree reminiscent of the patterns inlaid on his crystallized skin. The head of the key was fashioned in the shape of G'raha's flower with the stem as the key's shaft. "In the shape of crystalbloom."

"Crystalbloom? Oh!"

Had he not been holding up G'raha R'yhuven would have jumped for joy. He could have sworn the flower across the room seemed happy as well. "Yes, a crystalbloom key! To remind you you bring out the true me."

Watching G'raha lovingly cling to his second gift after acknowledging his first completed R'yhuven's night. R'yhuven carried him one last time, tucking G'raha in and brandishing a hairbrush to make good on his earlier intent. While the ponytail was G'raha's signature look, seeing his hair free felt like a privilege only R'yhuven was granted.

"You said I was acting out this afternoon. I guess it would seem that way from those books, but that's only because over the years I've learned to perform for everyone I meet, especially those I sleep with."

R'yhuven chased the brush with his hand while he talked. "As I'm sure you know, the part of the R tribe I grew up in is very remote, and as a result we're technically less 'civilized' than Miqo'te with more worldly experience. So I'm already rather catty by default. But I quickly discovered that while people of other races covet the few male Miqo'te they can get their hands on, they expect us to act…well like them. And the ones who don't think you belong in a cage. I could tell you so many stories from when I left home and how much trouble I got into."

"Would you? I would love to hear them." G'raha asked sleepily. "And I see now. My apologies for not noticing sooner despite your making it clear at the Find. I always appreciated your lessons on Miqo'te behavior."

"You're a quick study! And…"

Shyly, R'yhuven finished smoothing G'raha's hair. "You certainly make me more wild than usual. But I don't perform for you. Although I do enjoy performing _with_ you. I get the impression you do too, but if I take it too far let me know okay? One-sided fun is no fun at all."

He received a yawn in reply. The hand on G'raha's head was pulled in by the one holding the key as sleep overtook him.


	7. Chapter 7

Between the events of the day and G'raha's teasing him, sleep wasn't in R'yhuven's cards just yet. It didn't help that despite his best attempts to do something about it his hands were still restless.

One solution remained. Near the bed a bay window looked over Lakeland. Several pillows and a blanket sat inside, clearly indicating it was meant for naps.

After carefully freeing himself from G'raha, R'yhuven pushed open the large center pane. For a while he stood there taking in the unique scents of the First and enjoying the breeze on his bare skin. When he had enough he arranged a few pillows against a side pane so he could sit comfortably with a leg hanging out the window.

Thus situated, he pulled out his gifted lute. Neither R'yhuven nor his fragments had a song in mind they wanted to hear. He placed his fingers on the strings anyway to have something to touch.

A note came from them without thought. A deep-seated impression stirred within R'yhuven that he chose to embrace. More notes flowed from his hands through the lute's strings to drift along the evening air, and R'yhuven let them without question as he had already denied them for so long.

\--

Rustling from the bed caught R'yhuven's attention. It didn't stop his performance, but he did check the chronometer.

_Three hours. How long will I keep at this, I wonder…_

G'raha rolled over, rubbing his eyes. He also looked at the time. "Have you slept at all Yhuven?"

"No."

The succinct answer was the best R'yhuven could manage. G'raha didn't say anything more. Remaining beneath the blankets, he listened quietly as the song continued.

An hour later the impression wound to a stop. As the notes faded they left behind a satisfaction to match their insistence to be heard. R'yhuven accepted it as payment for his efforts.

"If…"

G'raha began thoughtfully. "If someone were to ask me what Lakeland sounds like, it would be what you just played. Are you alright?"

His concern was heartwarming. "I'm great actually. I've had the compulsion to play something since earlier, but I didn't know what until I touched an instrument. And it didn't knock me on my backside either. Until now, every song I've gotten on the First has been a single, dull tone. I wonder what changed?"

"Most likely? You have."

R'yhuven gasped. His confusion seemed to amuse the other Miqo'te, causing a blush to rise on R'yhuven's cheeks.

\--

G'raha slid to the edge of the bed. One foot, elegantly pointed and regally confident, emerged to touch the floor, then the other. The rest of him followed suit, fabric whispering over his naked body to fall across the bed and floor like a discarded herald to his approach.

Rays of moonlight danced across his form. Their brilliant luminescence highlighted tanned skin while bringing out the aetherial light of the accompanying crystal. Before exiting the stage they bowed to the golden key hanging from G'raha's neck, glinting off its outline and that of the decorative chain holding it in place.

R'yhuven couldn't take his eyes off G'raha. Each heel to toe step of G'raha's feet, back and forth motion of his hands, and left and right shift of the key as he walked over only further entranced him.

Upon reaching his destination G'raha stood over R'yhuven with a contemplative air. One hand - his right - extended towards R'yhuven, and he brushed the back of it against his face. "My attendant. My consort. Won't you take up another instrument this night?"

"Raha…?"

Nothing more was said. G'raha situated himself in R'yhuven's lap, placing his back to R'yhuven's front. He was easily accommodated along with the lute. Now holding both, R'yhuven decided to follow his impulses in the ephemeral atmosphere.

Memories of their old life came alive on the storied instrument. The words to the song formed from Allagan impressions, one of those R'yhuven lifted from the tomes in Mor Dhona, rose from G'raha's adorned throat to join with R'yhuven's playing in a performance under a night sky they created together.

\--

Somewhere during the song their tails wrapped together. They stayed when it ended, white fur brushing against dark blue at the end of the fluffy pile.

R'yhuven gently stowed his lute to focus on his other instrument as requested. If not for his breathing G'raha would have been motionless, but he left his face tilted the smallest bit towards R'yhuven's when he finished singing. Whether his intent was to entice or fill a role, although R'yhuven wanted to think it was both, there was no ignoring such a tempting offer after what they had shared that day.

Taking it immediately wouldn't do, however. He leaned in, intentionally missing G'raha's mouth to touch noses with him. The expectation was definitely for R'yhuven to go for G'raha's lips next, so he rubbed their foreheads together instead.

Only when G'raha began to visibly struggle with keeping his composure did R'yhuven let them both have what they desired. Bringing his leg inside and his hands around G'raha to secure him, R'yhuven drew his head back to pursue the lightly pouting mouth by his.

It wasn't fast enough. A warm hand slid into R'yhuven's hair, pulling him down into a very impatient kiss. Control of the situation had been ceded to R'yhuven by G'raha's request, but the way G'raha bordered on warring with R'yhuven made it clear he truly had no desire to wait.

Unfortunately for G'raha his consort was no stranger to war. R'yhuven let him have his way just long enough to sate his impatience. When it began to wane R'yhuven didn't hesitate to overpower him, pulling G'raha up while he brought him back into line with his mouth.

Two hands met in the space it created. One went for R'yhuven's cock, running fingers through the heavy wetness covering it. The other went for G'raha's entrance, two fingers slightly spreading the slick ring.

They each gasped into the kiss at their handling by the other Miqo'te. Neither relented as they worked towards the same goal, their lips finally parting as G'raha's body did the same for R'yhuven's.

Feeling the love of his life open up to him dragged a shuddering moan out of R'yhuven. It did the same for G'raha, both their hands meeting again where they were joined together. There was more of R'yhuven for G'raha to take in, but they were too occupied with feverishly stroking along each other's heated skin to keep going.

R'yhuven finally won by biting G'raha on the ear. Moving to do it startled G'raha, while being bitten caused him to let go in surprise. Freed from any further obstruction, R'yhuven let G'raha seat himself onto and against him.

On the outside G'raha went completely slack down to his tail. His head dropped back over R'yhuven's shoulder. Inside he was unyielding as ever, but something felt different.

When R'yhuven tried to move a distinctly uncomfortable sound accompanied the unusual amount of resistance he encountered. In contrast, the hand in R'yhuven's hair urged his head to the top of G'raha's neck. R'yhuven was more than happy to oblige since both their marks from previous encounters had healed. He needed to know what new facet of G'raha he had uncovered first, however, so R'yhuven held off in favor of lightly pushing G'raha down.

"Ahhh…nnhh…haaaa…"

Nails scraped over the wooden sill. G'raha panted, open-mouthed and helpless in R'yhuven's arms. Pleased with his answer R'yhuven ran his tongue up the side of G'raha's neck while the last ilm of his cock filled the remaining space within G'raha and then some.

"Your consort would be delighted to play a rousing piece for his liege. Your gift of such a special instrument will not be squandered in his capable hands."

R'yhuven murmured his words into heated skin. They sent an audible thrill through G'raha, and R'yhuven brought a hand to his cheek to run a thumb along his parted lips, sharing in every shaky puff of air.

"If he may be so bold, however, your consort knows his liege is only capable of perfection. So his liege's current state is surely the result of much deliberation, rather than _the result of a miscalculation during his attunement as to how much space he actually needed_."

Said space around R'yhuven momentarily drew tighter. "S…surely...to feel my consort so deeply inside…is to be truly complete…"

R'yhuven couldn't take it anymore. He bit down hard into G'raha's neck across the crystal above the chain, making sure his fangs would leave new marks and bruises. As he did so he abandoned G'raha's face for his chest, firmly rolling the single remaining darkened circle between his fingers.

G'raha twisted in R'yhuven's grasp, but not away. His one hand encouraged R'yhuven to dig deep with his teeth and fangs, while the other gripped the sill for leverage as he arched forward into the rough treatment. Their tails sought out the other's waist as G'raha ground against R'yhuven's achingly hard cock to the tune of two desperate sets of moans.

\--

Not wanting to end the moment quite yet, R'yhuven breathed in through his nose to calm himself, letting his jaw relax. His crystal restraint attempted to make him reengage but R'yhuven moved his tail to it instead. Thankfully G'raha yielded without complaint and waited patiently.

Freeing his other hand as well, R'yhuven gently lifted G'raha off of him. A swift kiss to the nearest ear erased the unhappy face that earned him, and he carefully lowered G'raha until he laid on his left side facing out the open window.

"I've finished tuning." He offered. "Now for the main piece."

R'yhuven shifted until he was kneeling. In a more sensual repeat of earlier he worked his hands down G'raha's back, this time taking advantage of the other Miqo'te's sensitivity at unpredictable intervals. Each stolen opportunity came with a shivering cry uttered out into the night.

It ended at the base of his tail. Without missing a beat R'yhuven swept G'raha's leg over his shoulder and slid into him once more.

"N-nhh!"

The confused sound was exactly what R'yhuven wanted. With each deep-reaching thrust of R'yhuven's hips G'raha lost more resistance until he fully surrendered to R'yhuven's direction. R'yhuven watched with pride as G'raha's discomfort turned to pleasure without the distraction of other acts.

Unlike their previous times together there was barely a sound. Only the meeting of their bodies, the evening breeze, and stilted half-gasps of air from G'raha gave any indication of the act playing out between them.

And R'yhuven couldn't help but to bask in it - in their roles of king and consort, in the almost profane act of joining with the moonlight-blessed being that had given his all to him and more. Imagining how people would react if they discovered their Exarch and their Warrior of Darkness together in the throes of passion sent a fire through R'yhuven's veins the likes of which he had never felt before.

He almost broke the sanctity of the night when the feeling sent him over the edge. R'yhuven managed to keep his reaction to a sharp intake of breath as he came fully within G'raha, but in doing so failed to give any warning. G'raha clutched the key at his neck like a lifeline, the sight of a pool of saliva forming at his mouth with his own release firmly ingraining itself in R'yhuven's memory.

When they were both spent R'yhuven freed himself to lean back against the pillows and catch his breath.

"You're…done?"

G'raha bit his lower lip as he sat up. "I want more."

R'yhuven groaned in disappointment and sheer exhaustion. "Tempting, but I'm so tired I don't think I'll make it to the bed, and you know I detest sleeping in a mess. It's been such a long day…I'm sorry."

His apology made G'raha shake his head. "Don't be. I forget myself at times around you."

With a wave of his hand G'raha cleaned them both. Before R'yhuven could ask it was his turn to be airborne, the ease with which G'raha picked him up and deposited him on the bed leaving him speechless.

"Make sure to fully rest for tomorrow, Yhuven."

There was no misinterpreting what would happen when R'yhuven awoke, whether it was under his own power or not. "You're insatiable…is having part of my soul not enough for you?"

Standing over him, absently stroking the key, G'raha levied a grin on R'yhuven that was equal parts Miqo'te mischief and wild possessiveness. Had R'yhuven any energy left he would have happily forgone sleep for the chance to incense him further. "It's a start."

\--

What R'yhuven expected was being pounced when he woke up. What actually greeted him was far more - the warm weight of a body atop his, with sultry crimson eyes daring R'yhuven to speak out about how they were already together beneath the covers.

He wondered how long G'raha had been waiting as he sat up and began riding him. There was no rush on either of their parts, so R'yhuven chose to relax and let G'raha do as he pleased. Like a reward for good behavior a foot lifted to brush against R'yhuven's chin, and was subsequently licked, nibbled, and nuzzled leisurely.

Their unhurried lovemaking lasted a while, no thanks to R'yhuven's residual thoughts from the previous evening. When they continued after their mutual orgasm G'raha fell into a similar mood from their first night together, this time offering varied terms of endearment, some in Allagan, in his impassioned state.

R'yhuven reciprocated by pulling G'raha down and touching him anywhere he could reach. They finished both back under the covers, hands joined around the key and G'raha having just came due to R'yhuven's efforts. Coming twice so close together finally satisfied G'raha, and R'yhuven forwent his preferences to not disturb his exhausted lover.

It was a good morning.


	8. Chapter 8

A few hours later the Miqo'te were at the portal in the Ocular. To R'yhuven's surprise the key remained around G'raha's neck underneath his robes. It wasn't a flower in his hair, but from how attached G'raha was to it R'yhuven knew the key would be with him until they were together once more.

"Take care Yhuven. Here."

G'raha handed R'yhuven a box of croquettes and a paper bag full of greens. "For you and Peg. Tell her I miss her."

R'yhuven smiled, stowing the gifts graciously. "I will. Take care of yourself while I'm gone."

"And you as well. May the eternal winds blow you back to me soon, my dear hero."

\--

R'yhuven's reflections poked fun at him during his trip across the Rift back to the Source. But he had something on his mind, something that he had initially attributed to his delirium from not sleeping. The longer he stayed around G'raha the more the idea solidified, and R'yhuven put it before them all for their opinions.

By the time he emerged in the Syrcus Trench he had them. Waving to the site staff, R'yhuven headed to the small stable they had erected as a favor for him.

Arpeggio bounced in excitement at her owner's approach. The willful chocobo still came and went as she pleased while R'yhuven visited the First. She had an uncanny awareness of when R'yhuven was on his way back, however, and after nearly capsizing several boats decided to swim her way to the Trench to meet him on his return. Eventually the Ironworks built her the stable so she could dry off and preen in comfort.

"Peg! Ready to go on an adventure?"

"KWEH!!"

Hay flew through the air. Arpeggio burst out of the stable and barreled towards her owner. R'yhuven caught her saddle and swung into it when she passed by, not interrupting the confident chocobo's stride on her way to the lake.

Once across R'yhuven pointed her towards Saint Coinach's Find. They rode through the camp, waving fondly to their friends along the way, and continued on to the path leading to the Crystal Tower.

It was R'yhuven's first time back since the Tower's sealing. The Labyrinth had been no place for a chocobo when active, but now R'yhuven teleported both of them inside for the journey to Syrcus Tower.

Rider and mount carefully passed through the eerily empty halls of the Labyrinth of the Ancients. Lava pouring from fixtures throughout the structure didn't faze Arpeggio in the slightest - not only was she bred from the toughest Gridanian stock, but R'yhuven's adventures in Hingashi had made them no strangers to Hell's Lid.

As they approached the exit memories of them struggling to cross the Ruby Sea finding air currents made R'yhuven smile. He often wished he had been present when a soaking wet, black-tipped ball of kwehing fury tempered by a month of hard swimming descended on the Syrcus Trench site.

\--

At the hallway leading to the Syrcus Tower doors R'yhuven dismounted. He walked alongside Arpeggio through the dim and uninviting halls with only the echoes of their footsteps for company. Having spent so much time in the Crystarium it was hard to imagine the path inside as anything but open and welcoming.

"Here we go…"

R'yhuven retrieved Arpeggio's favorite blanket from her pack and laid it out in front of the doors. Seeing it meant it was time to settle in, and she immediately sat patiently, tucking R'yhuven beneath her wing when he sat beside her.

Retrieving her food bowl brought on scores of happy chirps. Arpeggio nudged the bowl curiously while R'yhuven filled it with foreign vegetables, then she eyed it warily. "It's okay. Raha gave it to you - he said he misses you."

Greens began disappearing at G'raha's name. During R'yhuven's nighttime visits to Saint Coinach's Find Arpeggio would sometimes break into G'raha's tent or join them on the cliff. The cliff visits were fine, but the Find tents didn't have enough room for fully-grown chocobos. Having her head and neck inside was good enough for her, although it made for several awkward conversations the first few times other researchers found Arpeggio's body sticking out of G'raha's tent flap in the morning.

"I'm surrounded by brats."

R'yhuven sank into his downy cushion. While his companion ate he brought out his parting gift to join in. "We both love him, don't we Peg? He's here, somewhere, sleeping. I know he's having a good dream…maybe it's about us? But even if it is, I know he's lonely. Very, painfully lonely."

The tone of R'yhuven's voice distracted Arpeggio from her food. He pet her flank until she calmed down. "Would you like to be there when he gets up?"

"Kweh?"

He finished his last croquette thoughtfully. "Yes, really! I have it all planned out. You see, yesterday Raha and I's souls were together. And while he was busy taking some of my memories I found a map of Syrcus Tower on him. I couldn't take anything more because he would have noticed, but I'm sure I can get him to tell me where he's sleeping."

"And then!" R'yhuven held up one hand towards the ceiling, staring at it absently. "Then when the two of us are done, before we get too old, we can go there. Not to wake him up - that's the world's job, and by then I hope I'll be over doing the world's work. But we'll wait there so we can be the ones to tell him 'good morning'. Raha's given too much to wake up lonely and scared."

Arpeggio chewed on R'yhuven's hair in reply. "Well. I'll ask you again when the time comes. For all I know I might not be able to grow old anymore. How about we get you into the sun so you can digest without throwing up on me and then teleport to Revenant's Toll? I promised the kids I'd let them ride on you again!"

The excitement in R'yhuven's voice energized Arpeggio as well. They stood while everything was put away, and R'yhuven walked Arpeggio back into the waiting light.

\--

Behind them, a faintly glowing trail formed with R'yhuven's every step. As he stood at the entrance to the hallway a strong gust of wind suddenly blew, mussing hair, ruffling feathers, and scattering a shower of white and garnet petals to Eorzean skies.


End file.
